I think daywalker once said that there is no such thing as good cholesteral, and so there is no such thing as "too low cholesteral." You dont need any cholesteral. Cholsteral is bad. Zero cholesteral is ideal.

We need some cholesterol in our bodies (which cholesterol tests measure), but our liver makes all that we need, so there is no 'dietary' need for cholesterol. So we don't need to take in cholesterol, but if our bodies didn't make it, we'd be in trouble.

Did you think my post was refereing to you? It wasn't , but rather to posters in previsous threads who don't seem to feel it's necessary to get B12 or to be concerned about it as a vegan.

And I would consider taking red star nutritional yeast as 'supplementing with B12' (some nutritional yeasts DON'T add B12, but this one does) as would be drinking fortified soy or rice milk (since these foods don't naturally contain B12, but have it added as a 'supplement').

I have heard a level too low can be bad. I don't think we have to eat any foods containing cholesterol. It does h ave functions beside causing a heart attack. As I understand a certain amount is needed. I am no expert.

Cholesterol is a wax-like substance. The liver makes it and links it to carrier proteins called lipoproteins that let it dissolve in blood and be transported to all parts of the body. Why? Cholesterol plays essential roles in the formation of cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D.

Too much cholesterol in the blood, though, can lead to problems. In the 1960s and 70s, scientists established a link between high blood cholesterol levels and heart disease. Deposits of cholesterol can build up inside arteries. These deposits, called plaque, can narrow an artery enough to slow or block blood flow. This narrowing process, called atherosclerosis, commonly occurs in arteries that nourish the heart (the coronary arteries). When one or more sections of heart muscle fail to get enough blood, and thus the oxygen and nutrients they need, the result may be the chest pain known as angina. In addition, plaque can rupture, causing blood clots that may lead to heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. Fortunately, the buildup of cholesterol can be slowed, stopped, and even reversed.

Cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins play central roles in the development of atherosclerotic plaque and cardiovascular disease. The two main types of lipoproteins basically work in opposite directions.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, it can be deposited on the walls of the coronary arteries. Because of this, LDL cholesterol is often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, which processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. HDL makes it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be deposited in the coronary arteries, which is why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the "good" cholesterol.

In general, the higher your LDL and the lower your HDL, the greater your risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease.

For adults age 20 years or over, the latest guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program recommend the following optimal levels:

However, the (healthy) human body syntehesises cholesterol and it is therefore not required from the diet -- but of course there are some jackasses out there trying to spread that word. For instance visit http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com and answer the pop quiz:
Is Mr. Masterjohn is in the pocket of the meat/dairy industry or not ?

""High-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, which processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. HDL makes it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be deposited in the coronary arteries, which is why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the "good" cholesterol.

In general, the higher your LDL and the lower your HDL, the greater your risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease. ""

I am glad to read this as it is so rare that cholesterol articles mention what HDL really is - the product of the metabolized low density cholesterol, being neither "good" nor "bad, in itself, just the end of the process of cholesterol working through our systems. If you lower your LDL, your HDL is going to go down also, since it is the ending result of the former (the ratio is what is important because a high ratio means some of the LDL is staying around as plaque), but I have read articles actually stating that just a lower HDL reading, even when your LDL is going down more, is a bad situation.

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